Max Caster Gay
This occasion, as per All Elite Wrestling (AEW), represented the most significant World Championship engagement in the annals of professional wrestling history. It transpired over the most recent weekend at London’s renowned Wembley Stadium, a venue where an assembly of approximately eighty thousand aficionados witnessed the triumph of openly gay wrestler Anthony Bowens, alongside his two associates - his consistent tag team collaborator Max Caster and fellow teammate Billy Gunn - in the Trios division. It was indeed a momentous evening for Bowens and for wrestling enthusiasts globally.
This well-regarded athlete has recently been converting numerous individuals into fervent supporters. He publicly declared his bisexuality in January of 2017 and subsequently identified as gay, thereby creating a milestone in 2022 when he and Caster, partners in AEW (a competitor to WWE) famously known as The Acclaimed, secured the company’s premier tag team championship for the very first time. This victory positioned Bowens, aged 32, as the inaugural openly gay competitor to achieve an AEW championship title.
In a video disseminated in 2019, during which he, in the presence of his partner, announced his preference for being identified as gay, Bowens shared that his upbringing led him to believe he was heterosexual until he developed romantic inclinations towards men during his formative high school years. “I initially labeled myself as bisexual because my understanding of the LGBTQ+ community was quite limited,” he elucidated.
In a recent conversation with Chris Azzopardi of Pride Source, Bowens candidly discussed his personal encounters with being openly LGBTQ+ in comparison to the experiences of his openly queer counterparts, which include Nyla Rose, recognized as the first openly transgender female athlete to be signed by a major professional wrestling corporation.
“While I cannot definitively speak to Nyla’s specific circumstances, as I am unfamiliar with her journey, I am acutely aware that regrettably, antagonistic individuals invariably exist,” stated Bowens. “Furthermore, I am not immune to animosity, as evidenced by an incident two years prior in Long Island where an individual hurled a derogatory slur at me. Although I did not personally apprehend the utterance within the ring, it was audible during the broadcast, precipitating considerable controversy. However, the perpetrator faced disciplinary action and, I believe, was physically removed from the premises. A significant number of individuals now actively address and report such offensive remarks when they are encountered.”
Beyond the competitive arena, Bowens has, unsurprisingly, attracted a considerable number of new admirers recently through his participation in Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty Pride lingerie collection photoshoot during June. In these particular images, he is attired no less modestly than he appears during his wrestling performances. It is important to note that physical attractiveness, naturally, is not a prerequisite for attaining role model status, a designation that Bowens has commendably earned owing to his historically significant achievements.
“This recognition carries substantial weight because, although my personal journey may not mirror that of others, the experiences I have navigated were undeniably challenging,” he confided in Azzopardi regarding his personal odyssey. “I endured a substantial amount of emotional distress, frequently feeling the immense burden of the entire world resting upon my shoulders. The experience was fraught with considerable stress, pervasive fear, and significant anxiety. I sincerely wish I possessed the foresight to reassure my younger self that ultimately, everything would transpire favorably.”
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